Abstract Funds are requested to acquire new metabolic phenotyping equipment that will expand and enhance a successful metabolic phenotyping facility at the University of Kansas Medical Center. We are specifically seeking to acquire multiple pieces of equipment that synergize to improve the capacity to perform mouse metabolic phenotyping experimentation through increasing overall throughput, accuracy, and technical capabilities. Maladaptive systemic energy metabolism is increasingly recognized as a primary driver of disease pathologies. In the past, energy metabolism was primarily studied in the areas of obesity and type 2 diabetes, however, accumulating evidence shows that metabolic dysfunction contributes to multiple disease processes including neurological disorders, brain and spinal cord injury, chronic pain, liver disease and toxicology, and cancer. Our current Metabolic and Obesity Research Phenotyping (MORPh) facility includes rodent indirect calorimetry, body composition analysis, and food/water behavior data collection instrumentation. The MORPh is used >90% of working time, driving our need to expand current services for a growing clientele. We are seeking to purchase a new 16-cage mouse indirect calorimetry system to expand on our current 8-cage system. The system will also have in-line, real-time stable isotope gas analysis, a new technology that will allow for cutting edge measures of substrate utilization in-vivo. We are also seeking to maximize the capacity of the current BioDAQ food/water behavior acquisition system so that a greater number of dual choice reward studies (sucrose vs. water or control vs. high fat diet) or single sensor neuroendocrine control of food intake experiments can be employed at one time. The additional equipment included in the application will provide new experimental opportunities and focus on ambient temperature control and induction of metabolic phenotypes. We specifically seek to acquire multiple units of a specialized, long-term caging system which can maintain thermoneutral housing (30-35C), as well as, temperature-controlled cabinets which can acutely (hours to days) modulate ambient temperature through a larger range (5-50C) to allow performance of indirect calorimetry experiments under precise temperature control and acutely induce metabolic phenotypes with heat or cold stress. We additionally are seeking respirometry treadmills to measure energy metabolism during the stress of exercise at various intensities and to accurately measure aerobic capacity, a critical determinant of human health often ignored in rodent studies. Finally, we are seeking to acquire a bomb calorimeter system to accurately measure net energy intake as energy consumed (food) minus energy out (feces) of rodent models to more precisely measure energy balance outcomes. Successful acquisition of the proposed equipment will enhance throughput, accuracy, and precision of an existing metabolic phenotyping facility that serves multiple NIH funded investigators across campus.